Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP
Highly adjustable unit features good image quality, numerous connectivity options, and support for HDCP.
Tom Mainelli and Laura Blackwell
Dell's UltraSharp 2407WFP, as retested under our new protocols (see "How We Test"), still does not disappoint). This 24-inch model fared well in the PC World Test Center, where our jury viewed and rated a series of screen shots of text, graphics, and photo-based documents at the monitor's default factory settings. Jurors praised the Dell's crisp text and overall image quality, but also noted a faintly green cast to white screens.
Nicely priced at $719 (as of 8/17/06), this Dell is one of the least expensive 23- or 24-inch wide-screen monitors we've seen lately. It doesn't hold down its price by skimping on features, though. Its sleek industrial design includes a thin black bezel and a silver stand that lets you tilt, pivot, and raise or lower the monitor.
The 2407WFP has a plethora of video connections (DVI, VGA, composite, component, and S-Video), plus support for HDCP (high-bandwidth digital copy protection). The latter is a bit of future-proofing, as coming high-definition media such as Blu-ray and HD DVD discs may require an HDCP-compliant monitor for optimal viewing of content. Also included are picture-in-picture functions, a 9-in-2 media card reader, and four USB 2.0 ports.
Among the adjustable settings on Dell's on-screen menu are three display modes: desktop, multimedia, and gaming. Earlier this year, Dell customers complained of image-quality issues when using the desktop mode on early production runs of the 20-inch 2007WFP. Dell claims to have fixed the problem, and we didn't encounter such image-quality issues with our test unit.
Tom Mainelli and Laura Blackwell
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